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Chapter Master
, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines]] Space Marine Chapter.]] of the Space Wolves]] To be a Chapter Master of an Imperial Space Marines Chapter is to be a superhuman avatar of war amongst mere mortals. The Chapter Masters of the Adeptus Astartes are unmatched in personal combat prowess, possessing the body of a genetically superior killing machine and literally centuries of combat experience. He is a true scion of the Emperor of Mankind, heir to the strength and fortitude possessed by his genetic forebears, the Primarchs. Centuries of combat gained from time spent throughout the various ranks of the Chapter have taught him valuable lessons in the art of war, trained him in the various facets of military strategy and honed his martial instincts to the level of near pre-cognizance. In the dark days of the late 41st Millennium, in the days of ceaseless war and numberless enemies that would see Mankind enslaved or wiped from existence, the Chapter Masters of the Space Marines are warriors without peer, standing resolute when others would waver, advancing without trepidation when other men flee and wisely withdraws when only a fool would futilely fight on when the odds are stacked against them. By his example of true heroism and superlative command does a Master of the Space Marines awaken great deeds in lesser men, inspiring not only the Astartes under his command, but those mortal men and women whom they fight side-by-side with. Being a peer of the Imperium of Man, the Chapter Master acts with authority as he sees fit, according to his own counsel and judgment, answerable to no one except his fellow Chapter Masters and the Emperor of Mankind himself or his representatives, the High Lords of Terra. He holds dominion over 1,000 Battle-Brothers, willing to fight and die for him at his merest whim, and without question. In addition he holds sway over vast resources, including Battle Barges, Strike Cruisers, Armouries filled with the most advanced weaponry of the Imperium, Planetary Defence Forces, Astropaths and Navigators. The majority of these Masters of the Space Marines sometimes rule an entire world as well as the surrounding system and subsectors in the name of the Emperor. Such areas of the galaxy are considered to be relatively stable and safe in a far greater galaxy that is often consumed by war. The sectors of space controlled by the Astartes benefit greatly from the political patronage and formidable intellectual skills of its protectors. The title of Chapter Master is not consistent throughout the various Space Marine Chapters. Often times less standard Chapters that do not comply with the Codex Astartes in every way use traditional or non-standard cultural titles to denote their Chapter's commander. The most notable titles are: "Imperial Commander" (Formal title used for all Imperial military commanding officers), "Grand Master" (used by various Chapters), "Lord Commander" (Blood Angels), "High Marshal" (Black Templars), "Supreme Grand Master" (Dark Angels), and the "Great Wolf" (Space Wolves). These are but a few of the many different titles used throughout the various Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes for these paragons of Mankind. List of Known Chapter Masters *'Angels Encarmine' '- Castellan Zargo' - Chapter Master Zargo is one of the most active within the Adeptus Astartes. He cannot rest at peace, forever seeking opportunities to lead his Chapter on campaign. As a result, the Angels Encarmine are rarely at full strength, though what they lack in numbers is more than compensated for in their determined fervour. *'Angels Sanguine' '- Sentikan' - Sentikan supported the Blood Angels on Baal during the recent Conclave of al the Chapters drawn from Sanguinius' bloodline, called by the Blood Angels' Lord Commander Dante, to discuss the fate of their Primogenitor Chapter. Sentikan sssisted in the defence of the remains of the Primarch Sanguinius himself from the assault of the Forces of Chaos. *'Astral Knights' - Artor Amhrad - When 15 Space Marine task forces failed to stop a large Necron starship known as the World Engine, the Chapter Master of the Astral Knights Chapter adopted a desperate strategy. Forgoing weaponry that proved to be ineffective, Amhrad employed his Chapter's Battle Barge against the World Engine's Void Shields. The moment the mighty space-borne missile pierced the World Engine's shields, the Astral Knights had already taken to their Drop Pods. For over 100 hours the Astral Knights battled against the vastly superior force of Necron warriors numbering in the tens of thousands. The Astral Knights force was eventually reduced in size to just Amhrad and five remaining Battle-Brothers. Amhrad then detonated Melta-charges that destroyed the vast Necron tomb complex that housed many of the World Engine's command arrays. This damage brought down the vessel's Void Shields. With the World Engine's shields lost, the Imperial Navy's starships were able to destroy the World Engine with Cyclonic Torpedoes. On the outskirts of the Danorra System lies the scarred and lifeless planet of Safehold. It is there, in the dead heart of the Battle Barge Tempestus, that a shrine was raised to the memory of the Astral Knights. Seven hundred and seventy-two arbalstone statues stand silent vigil amongst the ruined flagship of the lost Chapter, one for each of the fallen Battle-Brothers of the Astral Knights. *'Blood Angels' - Dante - Lord Commander Dante of the Blood Angels is considered to be the oldest living Chapter Master within the Adeptus Astartes at over 1100 standard years old. *'Blood Drinkers' - Orloc - Chapter Master Orloc took part in the recent Blood Angels Conclave and agreed to donate a portion of his Chapter's Initiates to help rebuild the depleted Blood Angels Chapter. *[[Blood Legion|'Blood Legion']] - Armis - Armis, First Ixard of the Blood Legion Chapter, took part in the recent Blood Angels Conclave and assisted in the defense of the Primarch Sanguinius' tomb. He agreed to donate a portion of his Chapter's Initiates to help rebuild the depleted Blood Angels Chapter. *'Blood Ravens' - Azariah Kyras - Azariah Kyras was the Chapter Master and Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens Chapter of Space Marines. Kyras was known by elements of the Blood Ravens to have been corrupted by Chaos. Following the recent victory of Captain Gabriel Angelos over the Forces of Chaos in the Sub-sector Aurelia, Angelos defeated the corrupt Kyras in battle and replaced him as the new Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens. *'Blood Ravens' - Gabriel Angelos - Following the recent victory of Captain Gabriel Angelos over the Forces of Chaos in the Sub-sector Aurelia, Angelos defeated the Chaos-corrupted former Chapter Master and Chief Librarian Azariah Kyras in battle and replaced him as the new Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens. *'Blood Swords' - Lord Daggan - Lord Daggan is a Space Marine Dreadnought who was the former Chapter Master of the Blood Swords Space Marine Chapter. He died defending the remains of the Primarch Sanguinius on Baal from the foul Blood Fiends created by Fabius Bile. *'Black Templars' - Helbrecht - Current High Marshal of the Black Templars and primary coordinator of the Chapter's various crusades. *[[Crimson Castellans|'Crimson Castellans']] - Sojai Antiro - Embroiled in a war with a pirate warband assisted by Renegade elements of the Crimson Castellans Chapter, the differences between Loyalists and Renegades were set aside with Hive Fleet Jormungandr's descent upon their Chapter homeworld. Chapter Master Antiro died in the bowels of Hoventa Hive, spitting curses at the Raveners of Hive Fleet Jormungandr who tore him limb from limb. *[[Crimson Consuls|'Crimson Consuls']] - Elias Artegall - The Crimson Consuls and their Chapter Master were destroyed through the foul machinations of an Alpha Legion Chaos Space Marine claiming to be none other than the nefarious Primarch Alpharius. who intended to deliver the Chapter's gene-seed stocks to Abaddon the Despoiler to replenish the ranks of the Black Legion before the 13th Black Crusade. *'Crimson Fists' - Pedro Kantor - Survivor of the Battle of Rynn's World when a large Ork WAAAGH! invaded their world, destroyed their fortress-monastery and wiped out the majority of their Chapter. *'Dark Angels' - Azrael - Supreme Grand Master, Keeper of the Truth and bearer of the Lion Helm of Lion El'Jonson and the mighty Sword of Secrets. *'Doom Eagles' '- Hearon' - Commander Hearon is the current Chapter Master of the Doom Eagles Space Marine Chapter. *'Executioners' '- Arkash Haddon' - Arkash Hakkon was the current Chapter Master of the Executioners Space Marine Chapter at the outset of the Badab War. Owing an ancient blood-debt to Lufgt Huron of the Renegade Astral Claws Chapter, the Executioners soon found themselves on the wrong side of the Badab conflict. Eventually they were granted the Emperor's forgiveness - forced to forfeit their homeworld of Aquilon to the Sons of Medusa Chapter, and ordered to undertake a one-hundred year Penance Crusade. *'Fire Hawks' '- Stibor Lazaerek' - At the outset of the Badab War Lazaerek was more than six centuries old and in failing health due to numerous war wounds accumulated over a long and glorious career. Widely regarded by Imperial authorities as a bitter and hubristic individual. Lazaerek, along with his entire Chapter was officially declared Lost to the Warp and assumed destroyed when their Chapter fleet attempted a warp jump from the Piraeus system, one-hundred and twenty light years from the Crows World subsector in 963.M41. *'Flesh Tearers' '- Seth' - Commander Seth has led the Flesh Tearers for over a century and has not yet succumbed to the Black Rage, though the stability of his Chapter as a whole remains questionable. Seth has earned a great degree of enmity with most other Imperial armies he has fought alongside. Imperial Guard and Adepta Sororitas commanders are often simply ignored, whilst other Space Marines grow frustrated with Seth`s impetuous desire to instantly destroy all enemies. *'Grey Knights' '- Kaldor Draigo' - Supreme Grand Master Draigo is a Grand Master of the Grey Knights and a warrior beyond all reckoning. As a lowly Battle-Brother he imprisoned the Daemon Prince M'kar the Reborn and he has risen steadily through the ranks to become a Grand Master of the most secretive and elite Chapter of the Space Marines . Yet ever since his battle with M'kar, Draigo has been cursed to a life within the Warp, doomed to walk within the Realm of Chaos. To remain pure when constantly assailed by the power of raw Chaos shows such fortitude and personal strength that it is beyond the measure of the average mortal. But so long as Draigo still draws breath he knows that one day he will prevail and more importantly, he will return to realspace to lead the fight against the Forces of Chaos. *'Howling Griffons' '- Alvaro' - Alvaro is the current Chapter Master of the Howling Griffons Space Marine Chapter. During the Third War for Armageddon the elite 1st Company, led by Alvaro, were based on the Battle Barge Force of Destiny, where they engaged in the persecution of a company of Night Lords Chaos Space Marines under the command of the infamous former Word Bearers Daemon Prince Periclitor. It was widely known that the Howling Griffons harboured a particularly deep hatred of this Daemon Prince for his prior assaults and insults to the Chapter, including killing one previous Chapter Master in the 38th Millennium. *'Imperial Fists' '- Vladimir Pugh' - A meticulous planner and the current Chapter Master of the Imperial Fists. Pugh had his taste buds removed as penance for losing 170 Imperial Fists Astartes in battle. *'Iron Fists' '- Verchen' - Verchen is the current Chapter Master of the Iron Fists Space Marine Chapter. *'Iron Hands' '- Kardan Stronos' - Kardan Stronos is the current Chapter Master of the Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter. There is some dispute over whether or not this is actually canonical, as it was stated early on that the Iron Hands have a Ruling Council as opposed to having one man ruling over the entire Chapter. Whether or not Stronos is merely the Chapter's representative when dealing with other Imperial organisations or the actual Chapter Master is still a source of contention and hotly debated. *'Iron Snakes' '- Seydon' - The 18th successive Chapter Master of the Iron Snakes. *'Mantis Warriors' '- Khoisan Neotera' - At the outset of the Badab War Khoisan Neotera was the Chapter Master of the Mantis Warriors Chapter. Finding themselves on the wrong side of the internecine conflict, the Mantis Warriors realized that they had been misled by the Tyrant of Badab, Lufgt Huron, the Chapter Master of the Renegade Astral Claws, and turned on their former allies. Neotera was tried by an Imperial jury of his fellow Chapter Masters who sentenced him to spend the rest of his natural life in solitary confinement to contemplate his wrong-doing. His Chapter was spared; they were ordered to give up their homeworld and to undertake a century-long Penitent Crusade without the ability to draw new recruits in to the Chapter to make up their losses. *'Marines Exemplar' '- Maxim Absolon' - Chapter Master Absolon deployed 9 Battle Companies (all but one Reserve Company) in the defence of the Cadian Sector against Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41. His Chapter was scattered across several warzones. During the war, the Chapter Master's Thunderhawk was shot down (though the Chapter remained hopeful that Absolon was still alive). His current whereabouts are unknown. *'Mentors' '- Nisk Ran-Thawll' - Ran-Thawll is considered one of the most formidable Commanders to serve in the Adeptus Astartes. He has the authority to refuse field testing of any new equipment thought to be dangerously unstable. There is no record of Ran-Thawll ever choosing to exercise his veto. He is thought to have visited the Emperor several times, though this is mere speculation. *'Mortifactors' '- Lord Magyar' - This venerable Astartes warrior is the current Chapter Master of the Mortifactors Chapter. He is one of the oldest living Chapter Masters at over 700 standard years old. *'Raptors' '- Lias Issodon, "the Grim"' - Current Chapter Master of the Raptors Space Marine Chapter. He is especially adept at commanding ambush, infiltration and sabotage missions. This taciturn Space Marine Chapter Master earned the sobriquet "the Grim" as a result of his granite-like appearance and aversion to communication unless absolutely necessary. *'Red Scorpions' - Carab Culln - Carab Culln is the current High Lord Commander of the Red Scorpions Chapter. Culln was meritoriously promoted to the position of Chapter Master during the Badab War when the preceding High Lord Commander, Verant Ortys, was slain during a parlay with Lufgt Huron of the Renegade Astral Claws Chapter, in the infamous "Betrayal at Grief" incident. *'Relictors' Artekus Bardane - Current Chapter Master who led the Relictors to Armageddon spending an inordinate amount of time investigating the Chaos monuments looking for Chaos-tainted artifacts before removing his Chapter back to the Eye of Terror in order to fight against the 13th Black Crusade. *'Salamanders' - Tu'Shan - Current Chapter Master of the Salamanders and Regent of Nocturne's moon, Prometheus. Tu'Shan led the Salamanders during both the Second War for Armageddon and the Third War for Armageddon and is renowned for being one of the strongest Astartes alive. *'Scythes of the Emperor' '- Thrasius' - Thrasius is the current Chapter Master of the Scythes of the Emperor after the recent death of his predecessor, Thorcyra, on the Death World of Miral at the hands of the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Kraken. *'Silver Guard' - Veegum - '''Veegum is the current Chapter Master of the Silver Guard, and is leading his Chapter in the on-going Sabbat Worlds Crusade. *Silver Skulls' '- Argentius''' - Lord Commander Argentius is the current Chapter Master of the Silver Skulls Space Marine Chapter. *'Soul Drinkers' - Sarpedon - Sarpedon is a former Librarian and the current Chapter Master of the Renegade Soul Drinkers Chapter. Sarpedon's lower torso has mutated into the shape of eight arachnid legs, after he and the rest of the Chapter were tricked into a brief pact with the Chaos God Tzeentch. *'Space Wolves' Logan Grimnar - Grimnar is one of the most renowned Chapter Masters in the history of the entire Imperium. He has lead the Space Wolves for over 700 years as the Great Wolf, often clashing with the Ecclesiarchy and the Inquisition. *'Storm Wardens' - Lorgath Maclir - Lorgath Maclir is the current Chapter Master of the Storm Wardens Space Marine Chapter. He is known for excessively studying one of the supreme treatises of military strategy known as the Tactica Imperialis. Some even claim that he has memorised this vast tome of military knowledge in its entirety. If true, it would indeed be an impressive accomplishment, even amongst the Adeptus Astartes. Lorgath is an impressive strategist without peer who continuously challenges his captains with tactical exercises. *'Storm Warriors' '- Calan' - Current Chapter Master of the Storm Warriors Chapter. Wearied by a recent prolonged campaign and the losses incurred (two starships and 300 Battle-Brothers), the Storm Warriors were diverted at the last moment by a request to quell a rebellion on the world of Tesra IV. Calan was reluctant to have his Chapter get involved for fear of taking more needless casualties. With the arrival of Inquisitor Andrijssen and the forces tasked to him, this allowed Calan to accomplish his mission with no losses to the Imperial forces. *'Ultramarines' - Marneus Calgar - Current Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, Lord Macragge, and Regent of Ultramar. Calgar is one of the most accomplished Chapter Masters within all of the Adeptus Astartes. His number of deeds and acts of valour fill twenty-eight volumes of Imperial records, a deed only surpassed by his Primarch Roboute Guilliman. *'White Consuls' - Cymar Xydias & Titus Valens - The White Consuls Space Marine Chapter is unusual among the Astartes in that it has two Chapter Masters instead of the prerequisite one; one leads the Chapter in its duties guarding the Eye of Terror, whilst the other resides on the Chapter's homeworld of Sabatine. Titus is the battlemaster, excelling in leading his ground troops against the enemy whilst Cymar Xydius is cunning and handles strategic command and planetary diplomacy. *'White Scars' '- Jubal Khan' - Jubal Khan is the current Great Khan of the White Scars. He has fought countless xenos and untold numbers of battles and campaigns throughout the Imperium. One of his most notable exploits occurred during the Jopal Uprising. Leading the First Brotherhood in several lightning raids against the enemy's supply and communication lines, they caused such devastation that the enemy forces had no choice but to divert large numbers of troops to deal with the White Scars, allowing the Imperial Guard to batter through the weakened front lines, effectively ending the insurrection. Jubal Khan also led his Chapter in the Third War for Armageddon, where the White Scars operated primarily on both the world of Armageddon and on other surrounding Ork-held worlds. They were successful at disrupting the Orks and holding back the Greenskins' assaults, allowing Imperial garrisons time to better prepare. *'White Panthers' '- Jorus Shadowmaw' - The White Panthers' Chapter Master Jorus Shadowmaw was killed in action whilst putting down a rebellion in the Dynathi Cluster in 998.M41. Sources *''Codex: Blood Angels'' (5th Edition) *''Battlefleet Gothic'', 'To Cleanse The Stars' by Andy Chambers and Matt Keefe *''Brothers of the Snake'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''Codex: Black Templars'' (4th Edition) *''Codex: Daemonhunters'' (3rd Edition) *''Codex: Dark Angels'' (4th Edition) *''Codex: Eye of Terror'' (3rd Edition) *''Codex: Space Marines'' (5th Edition), pp. 44-45 *''Codex: Space Wolves'' (4th Edition) *''Codex: Tyranids'' (5th Edition), p.27 *''Crucible of War'' (Anthology), "The Emperor's Mercy" (Short Story), pp.89-90 *''Dark Creed'' (Novel) by Anthony Reynolds, pp.75-81 *Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising *''Deathwatch Core Rulebook'' (RPG), pp.50-52 *''Grey Knights'' (Novel) by Ben Counter *''Hammer and Bolter Magazine'', Issue 1, "Primary Instinct" (Short Story), by Sarah Cawkwell *''Hammer and Bolter Magazine'', Issue 3, "The Long Games at Carcharias" (Short Story) *''Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One'' *''Index Astartes I'' *''Index Astartes II'' *''Legends of the Space Marines'' (Anthology), "Orphans of the Kraken" by Richard Willimas, "The Returned" by James Swallow, and "Trial of the Mantis Warriors" *''Red Fury'' (Novel) by James Swallow *Soul Drinkers Series *''Space Marine'' (Novel) by Ian Watson *''Warhammer 40,000 Compendium'' *''Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook'' (4th Edition) *''Warriors of Ultramar'' (Novel) *''White Dwarf'' 288 (UK) *''White Dwarf'' 273 (US), p.118 *''White Dwarf'' 281 (UK), p.74 Category:C Category:Space Marines Category:Imperium